I need to replace my rear window rubber/surround as it doesn’t really fit and there’s a 5mm gap between the perishing rubber and the glass. The wndow itself is fine and the demist works excellently. Is replacing the rubber/surround a bit and expensive job?
please tell me the surround is really cheap and that any chap worth his salt could change it?!
Rob, the rubber is about ?30 plus VAT from Christopher Neil. You will also want a new ‘chrome strip’. If you haven’t done one before, get your local windsreen fitter to do it, it’s a bit of an art and they shouldn’t charge much.
Mike
I’ve used one half of a wooden clothespin as an installation tool, and it works great. It won’t scratch the glass, and will break on its own before it would break or chip any glass. You can use it to leverage the glass into the rubber gasket and to push in the “chrome” trim as well. I usually go through about three or four clothespins in the process.
I second John,
You can buy the tool from FROST, and it works a treat.
eg. took me a hour to do one side without it, whereas with it it took 10 minutes for the whole job
Tim
Any ideas on where it’s possible to get the same looking rubber strip with chrome insert strip rather than the rubbish plastic/silver foil one for the front??? My yellowing one complete with crumpled tin foil inside is crying out for a replacement,…
I’m pretty sure Crumpled Tin Foil = Bonded in Windscreen.
There are no options as the window surround is different (thinner, I think) for these screens. I don’t think it’s not impossible to change/build up the surround with fibreglass, but it’s not easy.
New foil is available and I’ve seen this trim installed cleanly. I think heat is needed to get it smoothly round the corners.
I have the early car and it is the BL Mini type chrome insert, the later car has the bonded screen. After talking to Matt I am glad I have te early type as he tells me the foil is very hard to get to look right.
You need to check wich screen you have and pray for the early one.
I shaped my plastic trim and bonded my screen in, they are tricky but you can do them perfectly if you take your time and know what your doing, If your doing yours thor give me a shout and I will give you some tips.
according to the magazines that have built the Spyder Zetec, they replace the bonded screen trim with a universal rubber, the cars I’ve seen pics of all have rubbers, some even have blacked “chrome” inserts, very classy in my opinion. maybe worth calling spyder to findout what they use/how they do it?